A-Rod Close to a Return to the Bronx

Despite opting out of the final three years of his contract two weeks ago, it appears Alex Rodriguez will be returning to the New York Yankees after all (I don't like to take self praise that often, but props to me for calling this). It appears A-Rod will get a 10-year, $275 million contract that should be finalized before Thanksgiving next week.

Early Wednesday morning, reports were leaked that A-Rod has been discussing a new contract for the past few days. Apparently, he deeply regrets opting out before giving the Yankee brass a chance to meet with him face to face. It took numerous phone calls from third parties to get the Steinbrenners to finally take his phone calls. A-Rod has even put his agent, Scott Boras, in the backseat. He is negotiating with the Yankees by himself, which was a Yankees demand before they would return to the table.

I think this is a good move for both parties. A-Rod is the biggest superstar in the game, and there is no better stage for him to attack the all-time homerun record. With the 10-year deal, it would be enormously surprising if he does not get the championship that has eluded him so far. With the Yankees' payroll and resources, you would think they would win it at least once the next ten years. It is a good move for the Yankees, because they would have had a huge hole in their lineup had they not resigned A-Rod. They also did not have to give up one of their big three young pitchers for Miguel Cabrera. And of course, he will also sell out the ballpark for the next ten years. Yankees fans should also forgive him for opting out. He made a mistake if he truly wanted to be a Yankee, but he seemingly made things right without having them jack the price up further.

Pat Morgan